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Well, this is surely disappointing, chicas. Texas Gov. Rick Perry has decided to veto $1.5 million in funding that would have expanded the Center for Mexican American Studies at the University of Texas.

According to the Huffington Post, the veto dashed hopes for those who want to develop the center into a full-fledged academic department.

"It's terrible," said Mexican American Studies graduate student Jamie Puente. "It’s part and parcel of what I think is a concerted effort by Rick Perry to attack the University of Texas. If the center can’t fund its graduate students, it will definitely affect recruit.”

Gov. Perry explained that he opposed the trend that has been seen over the last few decades where public universities receive funds as special items rather than requesting money through the main budget legislation.

“The university did not request this special item in its Legislative Appropriations Request for FY 2014-15,” said Perry when explaining his reasoning behind the veto. "If the Department of Mexican-American Studies is a priority, the university can use its $2.2 million appropriation for Institutional Enhancement.”

The University of Texas' Center for Mexican American Studies is not the first to receive a funding request rejection by Perry. He vetoed more than $5.2 million in special funding for the Office of International Affairs at Prairie View A&M University, the University of Houston’s School of Public Affairs and Texas A&M International University’s Petroleum Engineering program.